France’s defence spending debacle will infuriate Donald Trump

Donald Trump is right that some of Nato’s European members are essentially freeloaders. That these countries are holding talks about increasing the alliance’s target for defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP at its annual summit next June comes too little, too late. Countries like Germany and France have consistently underspent on defence, leaving Europe reliant on the United States as an ultimate guarantor of the continent’s security. When he takes office in January, Trump won’t stand for this. The political chaos in France is unlikely to reassure the president elect that Europe has got its act together when it comes to defence spending. The fall of Michel Barnier’s short-lived government comes at a dreadful time.

The National Assembly’s vote of no confidence in Barnier last week meant not only the prime minister’s resignation but also the rejection of his proposed budget for 2025, which included €40 billion (£33 billion) of spending cuts and €20 billion (£17 billion) of tax increases.